| Term | Definition |
| species | organisms that can breed together & produce fertile offspring |
| variation | differences between individual members of a population |
| adaptation | any inherited trait that increases a population's chances of survival |
| niche | the habitat and role a population plays in that habitat (prey, predator, space, light, moisture, etc.) |
| biodiversity | the variety & abundance of species that make up a community |
| evolution | change over time |
| natural selection | 1.There is variation within a community. 2.Some variations are favorable. 3. Not all young produced in each generation can survive. 4. Individuals that survive & reproduce are those w/favorable variations. |
| homologous structures | traits that are similar in different species because they have the same common ancestor |
| analogous structures | traits that are similar in function but are not inherited from a common ancestor |
| vestigial structures | traits that are inherited but reduced in size because of disuse |
| speciation | the creation of new species |
| divergent evolution | the process of species developing different traits because of differing environments |
| convergent evolution | the process of species from different ancestors developing similar traits because of similar environments |
| gene pool | all the genes possible in a population |
| Hardy Weinberg Principle | idea that states that if a population is not evolving genetic equilibrium will be reached and maintained |
| directional selection | the shift of allele frequences toward an extreme phenotype |
| disruptive selection | the shift of allele frequences that make it unfavorable to have the medium phenotype |
| coevolution | the process of species that closely interact together developing structures that are well suited for each other |